Dyer says he will play for Louisville

Former Auburn running back Michael Dyer is transferring to Louisville and will play for the Cardinals this season.

Arkansas Baptist College president Fitz Hill, who mentored Dyer at the Little Rock school the past academic year, said Friday that Dyer has applied for admission to Louisville and will report next week in time for the start of fall practice on Tuesday.

“He’ll report just like everybody else will on the day incoming players report,” Hill said, adding that Dyer will receive the scholarship.

Dyer announced his intention to play for the Cardinals in a letter written with Hill’s assistance and issued by the school.

“I am ready to start a new chapter in my life,” Dyer said in the statement. “I have learned from my past and feel that Louisville is the best place to play the second half of my collegiate career.”

Louisville and coach Charlie Strong cannot confirm Dyer’s decision or comment on the 2011 BCS championship game MVP until he has officially enrolled. He has not played since 2011 and will be eligible immediately.

Louisville is coming off an 11-2 season that ended with a Sugar Bowl victory against Florida. The Cardinals have already been picked as the overwhelming favorites to win the American Athletic Conference and have star quarterback Teddy Bridgewater leading the offense.

Adding Dyer could give a huge boost Louisville’s running game. The Cardinals averaged only 122 yards per game on the ground last season and the top two tailbacks on their depth chart — Senorise Perry and Dominique Brown — are both coming off knee injuries.

Dyer, who attended high school in Little Rock, ran for more than 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons at Auburn, but left the school after the 2011 season and transferred to Arkansas State.

He never played for Arkansas State after getting suspended after a run-in with the law, though he was never charged with a crime. Dyer was cited for speeding and a handgun was improperly confiscated from the car by a state trooper.

Hill said Dyer had no issues at Arkansas Baptist, where he earned an associate’s degree.

“We hold everybody accountable, not just Michael,” Hill said of the school’s policy, “but we try to be a support system to help them move on and become responsible husbands, fathers and community leaders.”